Taking the kids riding

With the bank holiday weekend, it was a lovely opportunity to spend some time with my kids and I decided a few days up at the farm and a chance to get them on horseback was a fantastic idea.  Given the rain the idea of camping went by the by and we managed to blag a bed inside for the night because we are wimps lol.  Saturday it tipped it down with rain so the kids ended up playing on the trampoline in the rain and watching tv a lot of the day.  We arrived just in time for me to help get all the trekkers on their horses - a hen party who for some reason thought pony trekking would be a great idea despite the fact half of them were petrified of horses. Then to muck out the stables before the horses got back.  We dropped the idea of taking the kids riding on Saturday because we thought they would get put off by the heavy rain.  The BBQ in the evening because a grill and indoor party instead but we still had lots of fun.

Sunday, the weather was dry if not sunny so after the morning trek came back we took the kids out on a little ride.  My eight year old was in the middle without a lead rein with their little friend on her pony at the front and my tiny 6 year old on a horse of nearly 15 hands at the back.  We had to put a lot of twists in the leathers so his feet could get in the stirrups but he was happy enough despite his small stature and the horses rather larger stature.   I think the kids enjoyed and they did a little trotting as well.  Mummy didn't get a ride but decided that I need some practice on the lead rein after my eldest sons horse turned to go up a track and I decided to let go of the little one to catch the other horse and ended up with both horses trotting in front of me.  There were a few little squeals  from the kids when I made the mistake of running after them which I instantly realised had been a bad idea when the horses started trotting.  As soon as I started walking I quickly caught up with the two horses who had stopped not far up the lane to munch on the grass at the side of the road.  I was very impressed with the natural balance the boys showed and their lack of fear.  They were less phased by the horses than the 25 year olds on the hen party the day before despite being on the same horses.  Ride over at just the right time (two minutes after the kids started asking are we nearly home yet I'm tired) it was time for a quick cuppa tea before heading home.

A Weekend of Sunshine

Had a lovely weekend riding in the Brecon Beacons at Trevelog Pony Trekking.  My favourite horse, Penny was finally home from her winter holiday.   She is really cute.  About 15 hands, bay with a white blaze and blue eyes and very fast.  Was dying to see if I still enjoyed riding her as much as I did last year as have ridden lots of different horses since then.

Had a lovely ride on the first day.  I was worried she might be a bit sharp after all that time off but she was going great.  As we had a few beginners with us, I got to hold back and lead the canter which is always good fun on Penny.  She doesn't get too agitated when you hold her back but when you loose the reins she goes like the wind.  I was just saying to one of the others how nicely she was going and how well she was behaving when  we decided to swap the order round so one of the guys who hadn't ridden for a while could try a canter. Unfortunately Penny took exception to his horse being behind her and started playing up.  She spun round a few times and kicked out and was generally very mareish.  She obviously likes the boys and didn't appreciate having one of the girls behind her, getting a bit too close.  Still I stayed on without too much effort which was fine.

Saturday night stayed over at the farm and went down the pub with some of the guys who work at the farm and then Sunday morning we were up early to tack up again for the arrival of the next lot of trekkers.  Had another great ride on Sunday -riding Penny again.

I only need four more rides this season and I fill up my loyalty card and get a free ride.    And another private riding lesson booked for tomorrow as my exam is looming.  Hope I didn't pick up too many bad habits at the weekend as noone nagging me about my seat and position.

My Favourite Horse

Some weeks ago, one of the trek leaders where I ride mentionned perhaps I should find a horse I like and stick with it because this year I have been riding lots of different horses, some of which I have got on better with than others.  Whilst this idea held a certain appeal, I have enjoyed trying different horses and because I ride at the same place most of the time, I was a little worried about getting in a rut and being scared to try new horses if I get used to riding the same one all the time.  At the moment, I am looking forward to my riding holiday in Spain so this wouldn't be good as I am going to have to ride a different horse there.  Also, of the horses I like, there are various reasons why I can't ride the same one all the time. 

Black Sam is lovely and although he can be a bit of a plodder, since my riding has improved and I borrowed him over the winter, he goes very well for me.  He will even canter quite fast when the opportunity arises unlike last year when I struggled to get him out of trot on some of the canters.  However, when they are busy and have lots of first timers, he is one of their stalwarts and is needed by the riders with less experience.

Jewel is another favourite and she is very nice too- a bit more forward going.  But she is used as a guide horse some of the time, which means she is not always available.

However last weekend I got to ride Penny again.  I have ridden her once before but on for a walk and a trot and she has a reputation for being one of the faster horses.  It has taken a while before I have been allowed on one of the faster horses again after my unplanned and uncontrolled gallop across the side of the mountain hanging on desperately for dear life the other month but finally had another chance to ride her this time, when we were going to do some cantering.  She is a beautiful bay horse, unusually though with blue eyes.

We had a lovely ride in the morning with a nice steady canter behind the trail guide and I enjoyed riding her very much.  She didn't put a foot out of place all morning.  Then in the afternoon, we had a smaller group.  Myself, the trek leader, two first timers and a french exchange student.  This meant I was closing the gates as there was only one trek leader and I love the chance to practise.  Penny was superb.  My control is not always the best and sometimes not sure the best way to approach the gates but she was great and didn't hesitate to go back to the gate to latch it etc. unlike some of the horses who don't really co-operate.  Then towards the end of the trek, I got to lead a couple of canters with the french student as the others were not up to cantering.  It was fantastic.  I turned her round to wait for the others to get ahead a bit so we could canter to catch up and literally all I had to do was turn her round and we went from stationery to a lovely fast canter.  I think I even hit a gallop briefly at one point.  I have to admit I did have a good handful of mane and found it quite difficult turning round to check on the other girl behind whose horse wasn't so fast but it was such a buzz.

I have definitely found my favourite horse.  The only blip was when I tried to put my coat back on towards the end when the rain started and she really didn't like it!  Nearly took me down a vertical slope.  It was strange because she wasn't bothered by me taking it off but they all have their quirks and I know flapping coats is quite a common one.

Pony Trekking this year.

I have been meaning to post since the pony trekking season started again having done lots of riding since April but have had some temporary work and just been incredibly busy.  Season started well.  The weather in April was fantastic and we were riding in vest tops, it was so hot.  I have been having a go at actually opening and shutting some gates on horseback which was new for me although now it is busier there are more guides so not done much of that recently. 

I have also been trying out some different horses this season.  Sam, who I struggled with over the winter, goes like a dream for me on the treks now and can get a lovely canter out of him and feel like I am in control much more so than on some of the other horses but risk being a bit complacent when I am riding him. 

However, I have had a few "moments" too.  I rode one horse who the guides normally ride and was warned he only needed a squeeze not a kick.  Being used to the beginners horses though I have got into the habit of having to give a good kick to get the horse to canter.  He went beautifully on the trek, until we got to the canter.  Most of the trek were youngsters who hadnt ridden before so the guides said I could have a little canter on the bottom track whilst the main trek went on the top track but under no circumstances to overtake the back of the trek above, in case the other horses wanted to canter too.  I forgot to squeeze not kick and overtook the guide who was leading the canter on the third stride, nearly fell off several times when I ended up nose on the mane and panicked and completely forgot about the correct riding position until I heard the guide yelling sit back!!  By the time, I got back in control I had not only overtaken the back of the trek but the front of the trek 26 horses later and then some - a canter of nearly quarter of a mile by my guess when I looked where I had been the following week.  On the plus side, I stayed on.

The following week, I rode a new mare who had only been broken in about three weeks before although I definitely didnt risk a canter on her.  In the first half hour, she spooked and charged about six metres straight into a fence although she didnt actually hit the fence.  To be fair, some guy chucked a feed bag over a stable door just as we were passing and I think most horses would have spooked a bit.  Then we passed some horses coming the other way and she didnt like it went I made her go on instead of stopping and bucked a few times.  Was pretty nervous by the time, we got out in the open on the side of the mountain, where I had my long "canter" the week before but got home with no mishaps.  She wasn't actually a fast horse just a bit sharp cos she was a young horse and new and inexperienced.

The riding bug has still got me though and I booked a weekend Beach riding in Pembrokeshire which was last weekend and a weeks riding holiday in Spain in Andulucia in August which I am really excited about.

First Weekend back Pony Trekking

After what seems like a long winter the pony trekking season has finally started.  I celebrated with a marathon weekend of two full day treks.  Although it was actually only four hours the first day and four and a half the second day, it felt like a lot after not getting on a horse for over a month.  I was riding Black Sam again this weekend but am hoping to try out some new horses this year now the season is starting again.

On Saturday, there were two half day treks so we went up the Grange and onto the mountain which was nice because didn't manage to get up the top over the winter.  The views never fail to amaze me and I feel very lucky to ride in such a beautiful place.  Having become such a regular, I've been asked to close the gates as I always seem to end up at the back of the trek, my favourite place.  I didn't get off to the best start, by completely forgetting to keep my hands down when I pulled him to a stop just before we left the yard and got a nagging reminder to look like I actually knew how to ride if I was going to be helping on the trek.  I had varying degrees of success with the gates in the morning and ended up dismounting quite a few times rather than risking leaning to far over and falling off.  By the afternoon, I was starting to get the hang of it and getting to know the which gates shut easily and which had required a certain knack.  I managed to shut virtually all of them on horse back that time.  We also had a couple of canters which was nice as there was limited opportunity over the winter, as the ground was a bit hard and we spent a lot of time on the road.  It is lovely at the moment up there now that Spring has well and truly arrived and there are cute little lambs everywhere and daffodils and other flowers starting to appear too.

Having stayed over at the farm last night, it was an early start to get all the horses fed and those who were riding tacked up before the other trekkers arrived.  There must have been twenty horses coming in for food this morning, now that most have arrived back from their winter holidays.  Today, I did a full day trek up to the Queens Head.  I made a bit of a faff of the first few gates.  I think I need to have a think about how to approach them before I get to them so that I can concentrate on controlling the horse instead of having to experiment with the best way to approach each gate and confusing the poor horse who hasnt got a clue what I want him to do because I wasn't sure myself.  After a slow start with one beginner rider who struggled a little in the morning, we made fairly slow progress.  The horses are a bit slower than at the end of the season as they need to get their fitness back after their long winter holiday. Whilst the beginner went on a head with the trek leader, her friend and I managed managed a lovely long fast canter before lunch.  The four of us finally arrived at the pub for lunch at 1.30 and had a quick sandwich and drink before heading back.  The ground is still quite boggy in places but we managed another short canter before the day was out (even the beginner managed to join in this time).  Finally, we got back to the stables at about 4.30 where I had to untack quickly and rush home to collect my kids and open my mothers day card.  Roll on next Saturday, another day's pony trekking already booked.

A Canter on the Beach



Me riding Monty



Haven't been blogging much for a variety of reasons.  Few things going on at home which included once again the breakdown of my computer and I managed very little horse riding this year disappointingly.  Have been feeling a bit down recently and so the weekend before last, I decided that it was time I went riding again as it always lifts my spirits and I feel much better physically and emotionally.  I decided to try a different trekking centre that I have been meaning to try for the last year.  Various reasons why I haven't, not least a feeling of loyalty to Trevelog where I love riding and have made lots of friends.  However, I decided time for a change and decided to try out the trekking at Ogmore on Sea in South Wales. It is very different scenary from the mountains where I normally ride but it was fantastic for a change.  I was a little bit nervous trying somewhere new, where they didn't know me or my riding abilities but I had a lovely time.



The view from the top of the dunes.

They offer two hour treks to the beach or one hour treks in the countryside so I opted for the trek along the beach.  It was a beautiful route with no road work at all.  We set off across the river and then followed the river down to the beach, where there is a large open sandy bay - cue time for a canter across the bay.  I couldnt believe how different it felt riding on sand but it was a lovely experience.  As instructed, I had been given a nice slow horse coloured gelding by the name of Monty.  Unlike my previous experiences of cantering on a trek where everyone stayed strictly in line one behind the other, the horses lined up in a row across the beach next to the sea and then we just took off across the bay.  I did get a good canter along with some fast trotting which suited me fine.  I managed to nearly lose my reins but recovered myself just in time to avoid any major problems.  It was very exhiliarating and I thoroughly enjoyed.  On the way home, we went up onto the sand dunes along a path, with the opportunity for another canter.  When I asked for a slow horse though, they definitely took me at my word.  No amounting of kicking or tapping him with the crop could get him out of a fast trot and into a canter.  As the rider in front increased the gap and went out of sight around a corner, I was convinced this would be his cue to canter as I have so often found on a trek before but still no joy.  That said,  I was not too disappointed as this was the first canter I had had since I fell off in November and was still a little nervous.

 At the end of the ride, I was a little achy but amazed to find myself still aching after four days.  Trekking at Trevelog starts back next weekend but I have unfortunately got no childcare so won't be joining them til the following weekend where I am planning to do two full day treks.  I guess I better plan on an easy week the following week as I will be walking like John Wayne if last time was anything to go by.

Down at the Farm

Unfortunately my blog posts have been fewer and far between this winter than I would have liked.  This is due to a combination of things including less opportunities for me to ride and therefore less to write about, partly due to the weather and partly due to my lack of experience meaning that even though I had a horse available to ride, I have found him difficult to cope with outside the organised pony trekking season because he prefers a big group and my riding skills are far from good and I just don't have the confidence or ability to make him do what he doesn't want to do. Added to this the bad weather and snow in December and the start of January has made it even more difficult.  If that wasn't enough, there have been various personal issues like redundancy and job hunting to contend with.

This weekend, I was hoping to go horseriding but the weather was horrible and the rain came down all day.  I would have braved it but no-one else wanted to brave it with me so contented myself with hanging out at the farm feeding the horses, checking out the new foals that have just been brought down off the mountain and ooohing and aaahing over the first baby goats and lambs of the year.

I even had a go at bottle feeding one of the baby goats which was great fun and reminded me a little of when my boistrous noisy boys were tiny babies on the bottle.  I am kicking myself because I forgot my camera and so have no cute photos to share with you.

On the upside, trekking starts again in six weeks on 1 April 2011 when Trevelog opens for business again so i am looking forward to some decent treks again.  Anyone who lives in the West of England or Wales and fancies some pony trekking in the beautiful scenery of the Brecon Beacons or who is planning a holiday in the area, prices are £25 for a half day and £40 for a full day.  Incredible value and highly recommended by me.  I wouldnt trek anywhere else.  If you are interested in booking check out the link to the website.

A New Years Ride

After all the snow, but with the expectation of more to come, my only opportunity to ride over the Christmas holidays when there was no snow and I had no children was the afternoon of New Years Eve.  Nevertheless, I was determined to go and it still left plenty of time to go home and get dressed up for a night in the pub on New Years Eve. 

That said with all the snow, I have been quite relieved that Sam is back at Trevelog as it meant I was spared a half an hour journey through the snow and ice every day to muck out and feed him which I would have needed to do if he had still been in Cardiff.  I now have the luxury of a horse I can ride whenever I want with none of the day to day chores.  I do, of course, groom him before I tack him up and again when I get in before I put his rug back on and put him back out in the field.  I am also reliant on finding someone to ride with, as not only do I not feel sufficiently experienced to ride out alone but Sam is not a fan of going out on his own, as being a trekking horse he is used to travelling with the "herd".  He does not like to be the lead horse either.

I actually retreived Sam from the field myself this time which was an experience.  The mud (and horse poo) was like sinking mud and I found the mud creeping over the top of my wellies and was in grave danger of falling flat on my face as I tried to catch Sam.  He wasn't running anywhere fast but was reluctant to leave the nice big pile of hay that he was eating.  Unfortunately, I think I made myself a little unpopular because whilst I remember to shut the gate, I didnt actually tie it shut properly and a few of the horses escaped.  I don't think they went too far but I believe someone had to go round them up on the quad to get them back. 

My winter rides have been shorter in distance than when I go pony trekking in the summer.  Typically, we seem to end up going a bit slower as the horses are less confident in small groups and are not as fit as in the summer when they are working regularly.  New Years Eve, we went down the lane to the bridle path back onto the road past the pub and up to the forestry where we did a small loop before going back down, through the river, to clean the mud off the horses a bit and then back along the lane to the farm. 

I am still struggling a bit with the basics though.  I know I have to keep my heels down and my hands down but when things don't go right, I tend to forget and then I seem to do the opposite.  Particularly true, when I am trying to get Sam to do something he doesn't want to do and he starts resisting and trying to turn around and go backwards if I try and get him to lead, for example, or on a few occasions, where I am convinced he is about to try and buck me again.  I am getting better at mounting unaided without someone holding the stirrup on the other side, but as I was reminded the other day, I should be able to mount without a girth on the saddle, in theory so tightening the girth tighter so it doesn't slip is not really the answer.  I am hoping my diet and some weight loss may help with this bit.

The weather is still cold but surprisingly, it never seems as bad as expected when I actually get out although I do tend to wear thermals and a couple of fleecies at least.  As well as New Year, I also managed another ride yesterday and the sun even came out to shine for a while which was lovely.  We had a lovely ride, but took an awfully long time to cover the distance and didn't go quite as far as originally planned because the horses decided they wanted to turn back before we got up the mountain.  Nevertheless, we had a nice little ride down the bridle path and the lanes and managed to get them through the river even if we didnt make it as far as the road on the top of the opposite bank.

Apologies for not including any photos but keep forgetting my camera.  Apologies to those blogs, I normally visit, I have not been reading much either as have been so hectic with xmas, new year and now the first week of school and job hunting.

A Nice Little Lead Rein Ride for the kids

I was feeling very frustrated this weekend that due to the social diary of my eldest son and his requirement for me to play taxi, I wouldn't be able to leave them with their dad for the weekend whilst I went pony trekking.  So decided that whilst the oldest was away at Beaver Scout camp, I would take my youngest son along with his godmother and her daughter up to Trevelog Trekking instead.  Obviously, the next best thing to going trekking myself.

Black Sam in the stable, ready to go out for a ride.

We had a lovely morning despite my friend being rather nervous about horses, she soon relaxed.  After arriving at the farm, the kids spent a little bit of time fussing around the dogs before we got hats on them.  We borrowed Black Sam, one of my favourite bombproof ponies at the trekking centre who has a lovely gentle nature and is perfect for the kids.

We headed out of the farm and down the lane for about ten minutes before we realised the little sheepdog puppy from the farm had followed us.  He was very cute but we hadnt noticed him until he shot in front of us under the gate into a field of sheep to practice his herding skills.  Not a good idea if the sheep don't belong to you, as a farmer finding a strange dog chasing his sheep may well shoot it.  As I was leading the horse, I said to my friend "Quick, you better get over the gate and catch him."  The kids and I had much merriment watching her chase the little puppy round the field with us shouting "You need to run faster than that".  Having finally caught up with him, my friend carried the puppy out of the field and we took a quick detour back to the farm.  Unfortunately, the puppy had tired himself out and insisted on being carried back.



Ellie riding Black Sam with me and Laurence leading him.



Despite being in the middle of October,with not particularly good weather yesterday, we had a lovely warm sunny day which was fantastic.  The kids,had two good ten minute stints each before I decided to have a little ride on the way back (just in case, the horse spooked with one of the kids on his back as we passed the goat shed on the way back - well that was my excuse anyway.)    Both kids had a wonderful time and were keen to come back another day.  My son looked so cute, he is so small his feet didnt even reach the stirrups so he had them slipped into the leathers feet resting on the stirrups. His friend enjoyed trying to put into practice what she had learnt in the pony party she went to a few weeks ago.  All in all, a lovely morning for them and I think both kids are converts to pony trekking, even if they need to wait a few years to be old enough for a proper trek.

Although only a short ride, had a little trot and Sam was very biddable.  Whilst it was just a fifteen minute ride along the road, it was really nice as it was the first time I had ridden a horse on my own, totally unsupervised.  And it did stop be feeling fed up for not having been horseriding this week.

Back at the farm, Black Sam hadn't actually broken into a sweat.  He is used to much harder work.  However, we thought he deserved a little brush down after his efforts and the kids had great fun grooming him.  After a quick look at the foal and a pet of the goats, we headed off to grab some lunch at the burger van in the valley which does delicious burgers produced from a local farm which don't even deserve the same name as the food McDonalds serve.  Finally, time to go and fetch my oldest son, who wasn't bothered to have missed out because he is not so keen on horses.

Making the most of the weather whilst it lasts.

After the bucketfuls of rain on Friday, I was not feeling overly optimistic about pony trekking all day Saturday.  I envisaged getting very wet and cold up in the mountains for four hours.  I am delighted to say the weather lifted and we had a lovely day, where it only rained during lunchtime when we were in the pub.

I was quite excited about the trek as I was riding Prince, who I have only rode once before and is something of a step up from the beginners horses that I normally ride.  Definitely required a bit more concentration, than some of the other mounts and I can't say my handling of him was expert in any sense of the word. 

We set out with a group of about twelve of us and I took my preferred position near the back of the trek.  May be not the best logic, but I always feel there are less horses behind to tread on you if you fall off during the canter.  Once again, we were heading for the Queens Head pub, Cmvoy for the usual pub lunch so set off down the bridle path before joining the road for a short while before hitting the forestry path.  As a tractor approached, they shouted a warning to me to rein in because Prince didn't like tractors.  I could feel him tensing up and was hoping we wouldnt end up in the middle of the road but fortunately he only moved a couple of feet up the grass verge.

We trotted along the forestry and managed a short canter at one point before starting to descend for the road down the hill for lunch.  Once again I had my hands full as Prince took a dislike to some motorbikes behind us although to be fair they were being driven very considerately and got off and walked the bikes past the horses.  We dismounted then and walked the ten minutes to the pub as the road is very steep and slippery so not ideal for riding down.

After lunch, we returned along the forestry hoping for a few canters.  I was a little tense about the canters having not cantered on Prince before and the others at the back found it very amusing that they see my position change and my body tense everytime they announced the next canter.  Unfortunately for me, the horse in front was not very keen to canter and preferred to keep to a trot whilst the others cantered off ahead.  To say Prince didnt like it was an understatement.  After holding him back for a while as we are not allowed to get out of line, Prince had had enough and decided he was going to overtake whether I liked it or not.  My ensuing yells of Oh Shit! Oh Shit! Oh Shit at an increasing volume prompted much laughter from the trail guides at the back and a quick glance from the guide at the front who saw I was just managing to pull back in line after overtaking about three horses.  Thats the only problems with being a regular and mates with all the guides is that it is going to take me a while to live that down and I will probably never convince them I didn't think I was going to fall off.  I was just worried how far we would go before he stopped!  Having used all my strength to pull back and bring him out of the canter, I was pretty sure that in the end it was still his decision not mine to slow down.  That said it certainly added a bit of excitement to the day's horseriding.

Back at the farm, we untacked and sorted the horses out and I decided to stay for the evening and go to the pub.  The only problem was that with over an hours drive home, there was no alcohol for me.  That said lovely evening was had by all and one of the guys drove back up the valley in front of me to the main road.  This was very reassuring seeing as there are seven miles of windy single track road with no lights and no mobile reception so if you broke down on your own it would not be fun, especially at nearly 1 o'clock in the morning.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Off to Trevelog for a day's pony trekking today and I can't wait.  Due to my ex's other commitments, I have had the kids all weekend for the last two weekends and haven't been on a horse for three weeks now.  I have definitely been having withdrawal symptoms.  Was hoping to go tomorrow as well but unfortunately left it too late to book and no horses available as they are fully booked.  But I am more organised for next weekend and I will be going Friday and Saturday.  One things for sure though, no more camping in the field at the farm this year.  It was absolutely freezing at the end of August.  That will have to wait for next year! Unfortunately, the end of the season is approaching as they close for the Winter at the end of October.  I don't know what I am going to do.  I will probably have to try and find some riding lessons, if I can afford them by then.  I suspect I probably need them.  I have really enjoyed riding this year.  It has kept me sane in a difficult time in my life. I have managed to ride lots of different horses. My control of  the horse has come a long way in six months,  thanks to lots of help and guidance from the trekking guides but I still have a long way to go in terms of learning to horse ride, particularly with my balance and general seat position.  Anyway, time to get my jodhpurs on and head for the mountains.  The weather looks sunny, if a bit chilly.  What more could you ask for the middle of September in Wales.

Taking my two babies trekking for the first time.  My little one's feet don't even reach the stirrups but he had a fantastic time.

Pony Trekking in the Brecon Beacons.

View of the Llanthony Valley

After returning from Mexico, I set out to find somewhere more local to go pony trekking.  Living in Cardiff, the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains are only an hour’s drive and the perfect place for a day out.  I discovered Trevelog Trekking Centre; an absolutely fabulous family run centre situated in the Llanthony Valley at the edge of the Brecon Beacons.  It is a wonderful place to go trekking with a friendly atmosphere, breathtaking scenery and beautiful horses too - all sturdy Welsh Cobs, perfect for the steep mountainous terrain. 

Although, I did some pony trekking that summer, this was curtailed when I got pregnant later that year. At the start of this year, I decided I wanted to try pony trekking again. Two children later, my boys are finally at an age where, I have a little free time again.  I booked on to the first trek of the season, at the end of March.  After an impatient couple of weeks wait, it finally arrived.  I was delighted to find Vicky, who runs the trekking centre remembered me from my brief foray into pony trekking eight years earlier. 

My friend and I set off on our first trek.  Being either mad or optimistic, we booked in for a full day’s trek which consisted of four hours riding with a stop at the pub for lunch.  I was riding a lovely placid but responsive pony called Bounty and my friend had an equally reliable horse called Rose.  I believe the correct term is bombproof pony, just what we needed, as virtually complete beginners.  As we headed out of the farm and down the lane to the bridle path, I felt surprisingly calm and confident.  Within ten to fifteen minutes, the trek leaders had us rising to the trot, albeit while holding tightly to the saddle. Although not perhaps the most accomplished or elegant rising trot you have seen, it was sufficient for us to make the most of the day. 

Me riding Bounty

After stopping, in the river for the horses to take a drink, we set off up the side of the hill to the forestry path.  The path up was quite steep, almost like big steps in part.  As the horses graciously plodded up the rocky path, we were left relieved that it was they and not us doing the hard work.  We passed large numbers of sheep and their newborn lambs as we rode through the fields and saw clusters of wild bluebells.  Onto the forestry track and we had a few good long trots, whilst some of the more experienced riders hung back for a canter before starting our descent down a narrow lane.  Halfway down, we dismounted and walked the horses the rest of the way as the path became so steep and slippery.  This was a welcome opportunity to stretch our now aching muscles, before lunch.  We tied the horses up in the pub car park and by now starving hungry; we decamped to the pub for refreshments and a bite to eat.

The Queens Head Inn Cwmyoy Abergavenny 

After lunch, we set off down the country lane that follows the bottom of the valley for the eight mile return trip.  Trotting most of the way home, we arrived back at the farm at four o’clock, tired but exhilarated.

After that first day, I was hooked.  I have managed to go pony trekking virtually every week since then and my riding has progressed considerably.  Although in all honesty, I could not call myself anything other than a beginner, I can now comfortably rise to the trot without holding on, and enjoy a canter.  That said if my horse is feeling lazy and does not automatically follow the horse in front into a canter, my efforts to kick him into a canter are not always successful and sometimes we don’t quite get out of trot.  However, I must have improved as I have been told I am sufficiently competent to join the rest of the regulars on the annual trail ride next week.  I am looking forward to it with much excitement and just a tiny bit of nerves at being the least experienced rider going.